Our Vancouver donor,Safari Partners Inc, followed up on the funding for the first 2 classrooms completed in June 2016 with enough funds to start the much needed first teacher residence in a 2 teacher family building. Wall plastering and septic tanks/soak pits construction are in progress with completion expected before Christmas. We look forward to completing the second residence in the new year.

Alan and Project Manager Mathew - first teacher residence

septic tank and soak pit

inspecting the soak pit walls for soil permeability

Kilimamoja Primary School, Kilimamoja Village

Two teacher families now have a new home!

Our excellent builder, Mr Restus Sanka, completed the 3rd and 4th teacher family residence building. Two teacher families that were living in a classroom for the past few months are now happily adjusting to a more “modern” lifestyle with indoor kitchens, showers and flush toilets. The biggest cultural challenge is to transition from traditional outdoor cooking with its unhealthy smoky fires in small outdoor huts to the clean indoor propane countertop gas stoves which by the way they can afford now since the accommodation is rent free.

On this trip, we installed donor plaques for those who contributed funds for a classroom. The pupils and teachers send their heartfelt thanks to:

BC Ferries of Victoria, BC, in memory of Dale Pace

Alicia and Sang Han, Victoria, BC

Tony and Beth Gvora, in memory of Beth’s daughter Jennifer Street, who tragically died at the early age of 10 years. When the first plaque was installed in June, the pupils asked to see a picture of Jennifer. When I went back in October, I brought another plaque with a photo of her. The pupils gathered around in awe and stared at her beautiful face framed by golden curls. “She looks like an angel”, several remarked.

the new residences for 2 teacher families

happy teacher family in new residence

Jennifer Street - an "angel"

Dale Pace classroom

Edith Gvora High School, Gongali Village

The Chemistry Laboratory is finally under construction!

Thanks to a generous donation from two wonderful donors, the Eldon and Anne Foote Fund grant of $20,000 and the Tony and Beth Gvora grant of $25,000, we are able to build the long awaited first laboratory building for this high school built in 2014. For its first two years of operation, the science-based school has not been able to offer science classes for chemistry, physics and biology. We can only afford at this point to build the Chemistry lab building. The physics and biology labs will hopefully be funded in the near future, but at least those classes can be taught in the Chemistry lab until we raise the funds. Since this building will be our most technically demanding construction to date, we are fortunate to have builder Restus Sanka’s proven expertise. The building will be completed by January 2017.

new Chemistry Laboratory - start of construction

District Chairman Mnyenye and teachers announcing new Chemistry Lab construction

Luhunga Secondary School Girls Dormitory Complex, Mufindi Village

We are 50% complete.

The teachers are getting excited. The 31 girls who will live there are getting EVEN MORE EXCITED. They have been forced to live inside a classroom, three to a bed, in dilapidated bunks that are falling apart, with no interior washrooms or water. The dormitory compound facilities include rooms for 64 girls, a kitchen/dining hall, a toilet/shower building, multipurpose room, workshop, house mother residences, and interior gardens.

The roofing is on. Wells and septic tanks are built. Walls are being plastered. The windows are manufactured and on site. And the whole project is progressing very well thanks again to the tireless efforts of builder Restus Sanka, who commutes 14 hours each way by bus every other week, to organize construction with local “fundies” (trades).

I had the pleasure of being there with the project’s donors, Ruth James and Anne Pearson, of Victoria’s African Book Box Society, the charity we are partnering with on this project. In their 11 years in this Mufindi district, these two creative and spirited women and their organization have distributed books, sponsored construction of classrooms and libraries, supported a Children’s Village project and taught innovative and colourful classes at the schools. You can check out their website http://africanbookbox.org/

Since 2010, we have built 8 village schools that are in various stages of development. We usually start with a couple of classrooms, then progress through teacher residences, dining halls, toilet buildings, and administration/library buildings.

Needed Now:

Tidivi Primary School - 2-Family Teacher Residence Building - $38,500

As of 15 Nov 2016, we have $19,800, but we need another $18,700, so please help us with your donations.